You Raise Me Up
by Loyal Lady Pisces
Summary: A grueling cross country Buddy Monster only race leaves Jackknife Dragon stranded in the middle of nowhere with broken wing and leg. In agonizing pain and ready to give up, he finds his salvation from and unexpected source.


"Damn it...damn it..."

A male voice rasped as it's owner lay on a flat piece of rock in full exposure to the noon day sun, a thin trail of long dried blood lead from the creature's prone form to a sudden drop down 50 feet into a gorge. Only the distant sounds of birds singing, the hollow moan of the wind and his own ragged breaths were heard in the dusty air. Jackknife Dragon cursed himself a blind fool, thousands more curses he was thankful his partner Tasuku would never hear during his brutal climb out of the gorge.

His grave misjudgement on the unpredictability of the air currents in the area thrust him head long into a powerful down draft that sent the Armour Dragon spiraling out of control into the crevasse behind him. Colliding with the rocky walls with his wings out stretched in a vain attempt to slow himself down, the membrane of his left wing caught on a sharp outcropping of rock causing the limb to be violently pulled as a sickening snap was heard and felt in the worst way imaginable. Crippled and unable to fly Jack fell onto a flat piece of rock that jutted out from the wall, another godawful crack as fiery pain shot through his right hind leg, searing into his thigh and hip like millions of glass shards. This turn of events would cost him the race, not that it mattered anymore as the fog to fatigue started to roll into his mind and cloud his vision.

It was a tough cross country endurance race for Buddy Monsters only held every year by the Buddy Card Office and Aibo Academy, not just a race but a test of the will and fortitude of it's competitors as they would push themselves to their absolute limits. The winning team would have any wish they desired granted, Jackknife cared little for personal glory however, seeing this event more as training to make him an even better partner for his close friend Tasuku Ryuenji. This was not for the faint of heart as many had already dropped out of the running as far as Jack had heard, Drum Bunker Dragon and Tsukikage were still going strong but as to where they were right now, he did not know. The only rules to this race were no interfering with other racers and no flying, a damn fine irony that was given the Armour Dragon's pathetic state. The heat of the relentless summer sun beat down without mercy onto Jack's face, groaning his closed his eye in a vain attempt to block it out as a pain induced tear slid slowly down his muzzle.

"I'm so sorry Tasuku...guess I won't be meeting you at the finish line...AUUGH!" Jack roared as another muscle spasm rocketed through his injured leg. He was glad his partner was not here to see him like this, the boy was strong that much was true but this would be more than he could bare.

Panting he lay his head back down and closed his eyes wanting nothing more than all of this too be over, just to drift off as the sound of distant thunder began to approach. Even with his dulled senses Jack knew that wasn't the result of a coming storm, the rhythmic vibrations grew even more powerful as a bright flash of red and gold passed his field of view.

"Is that...Drum?" Jack asked, his eyes tired and dull as the heat haze coming off of the rocks made the stranger's image ripple and blur, like waves on a wind swept lake.

A great darkness passed over him blocking the sun from Jack's sight, this was definitely not his fellow Armour Dragon, there being no possible way he would cast a shadow large enough to cover Jack's whole body. Raising his heavy head the green dragon looked up into the burning yellow eyes that looked back down upon him, locked in an almost perpetual angry stare. Even silhouetted by the sun the monster's crimson scales seemed to glitter more brightly, his grand mane of golden horns and four wings spread over Jack like a shroud. Despite having never met face to face until now, there was no doubt in Jack's mind as to the identity of this creature. His name and title was far from unknown in Dragon World, as well as his incredible power that no other of his kind had ever been able to achieve.

"Duel Sieger." Jack wheezed before laying his head back down, giving a small cough. The Dragon Lord more than likely only stopping to investigate why he was laying out in the open like this before losing interest and walking away. This was a competition after all, one less opponent to get in the way of achieving victory.

Sieger lowered his massive head and sniffed at the smaller dragon, the scent of the blood flooded the Lord's nostrils as he started to push Jack with his blunt snout.

"I can't...I can't get up, I think my leg is..." Jack groaned as his body began to ache again.

Another shove and then another, each getting more forceful as the growing pain that was starting to flare up in his broken bones were making Jack more irritable than he had ever felt in his entire life. He physically couldn't drive the red dragon away, Sieger being larger and far more powerful than he was, but that sure as hell wasn't going to stop Jack from trying. Snarling he rounded on his tormentor and swiped at him with his claws, rolling onto his stomach as the rage burned in his own eyes.

"DAMN IT SIEGER I CAN'T GET UP! I BROKE MY DAMN LEG AND WING, I CAN'T DO THIS, I JUST CAN'T...I just can't." Jack coughed after the outburst and hung his head breathing heavily. Duel Sieger drew his nose closer as Jack looked back up at him, squinting at the bright glow as the Dragon Lord's eyes widened and he drew in a deep breath and roared at full force right in Jack's face. The intense rush of air exiting the dragon's lungs combined with his powerful cry made the green dragon's armour rattle and his ribs vibrate, his glowing eyes closing to slivers of light as he glared at his smaller kin growling deep in his throat.

**"_Get up." _**The Dragon Emperor's iron gaze seemed to say.

To human ears Sieger's feral snarls and roars held little if any meaning but to Jack he could make out words, not that he could understand them either. For Sieger spoke in an old tongue born in the very heart of the realm he hailed from, a language spoken long before his Armour Dragon kind ever existed. Jack grumbled in resentment as it took all of his energy to struggle to his fore claws and good left hind leg, he couldn't believe this dragon whom he only just met expected so much from him, either out of pity or a disdain for defiance he didn't know. Sieger was already walking off with Jackknife staring daggers at his retreating hind quarters, giving a heavy defeated sigh began to follow after him.

The pair traveled in silence over the rocky landscape of the hills and into the trees of the thick woodlands, the finish line from where they were on the map was only a few hours away but to Jack it might as well have been months. Every step he took was agony as he tried to keep off of his broken leg, his energy was slowly being drained, he hated this feeling. Feeling so weak and helpless, hating Sieger for forcing him to keep walking and hating this whole damn race. He wished the Dragon Lord had just left him where he had found him, for three times he collapsed during their trek and all three Sieger would stop and get him back up again. The fourth time was before a massive canyon that opened up before them at least 3 miles across, his wing bent into uselessness there would be no way for him to cross by air.

"Sieger, you're going to lose the race at this rate." Jack huffed and puffed as his companion once again loomed over him, staring down at him with unsympathetic eyes. "Just leave me alone...just go."

Duel Sieger looked towards the canyon then back to the fallen Jackknife, without so much as a snort he lowered his head and opened his mouth. Jack feeling the moist heat of Sieger's breath on his skin as jaws powerful enough to crush his armour into shrapnel closed around his body and lifted him into the air. Was this the Emperor's final act of dominance over him? To carry Jack in his mouth like a mother would her own offspring? To Jack's surprise that was far from what Sieger had in mind, lifting the green dragon's limp body over his shoulder as one of the hands on the end of his wings retrieved Jack from his mouth. Jackknife found himself being lowered onto the back of the Dragon Lord's neck, sitting on his broad shoulders just in front of the gold archway like ornament that hovered over his back. Jack felt these same hands close over his body to hold him in place as Sieger backed up a considerable distance before racing towards the canyon at blinding speed, his passenger hanging on for dear life, arms wrapped around the Dragon Lord's neck as far as he could get them.

The crimson dragon jumped into the air, racing along the wind currents as if they were solid ground. The span of the canyon rushing beneath them like it was was no wider than a mere few feet, the sun shimmering off of the Emperor's body of ruby and gold, as if to enhance this display of his effortless power. Landing on the other side gave Jack little time to think as Sieger kept right on running, moving at such an impossible pace the world flew by them in a blur, the Dragon Lord's gate never faltering as he ran fully stretched out. Bright flashes of emerald and sunlight flew passed, leaves and branches of trees were sliced a sunder by the golden blades on Sieger's folded wings. Covering massive amounts of ground until they burst out of the trees before them into an open field, on the other side a large crowd of people and Buddy monsters were gathered. The finish line was just within reach as the two flags that marked it fluttered in the late afternoon wind.

"We made it finally." Jack said quietly as Sieger climbed down a large rock pile that exited the forest. "Not much furth-"

He was cut off mid sentence as the hands on Sieger's wings that had been holding him securely on the red dragon's back lifted him off, passing the green dragon to their owner's jaws once again as Sieger set Jack down in front of him. The ride had given Jackknife time to rest but he was still a little unsteady on his feet, looking up at the powerful monster before him as Sieger made a quick forward motion with his snout.

**"**_**Finish what you started Armour Dragon." **_

Jackknife Dragon nodded as a powerful sense of resolve flooded his entire being, turning around he began to limp towards the finish line with Duel Sieger following close behind. Even when Drum and Tsukikage raced neck in neck passed the two, the Dragon Lord did not break his stride. The stabbing ache flaring up in his injured limbs almost making Jack stumble but he fought back and kept going strong under his companion's watchful eye. Tasuku ran forward from the crowd of spectators towards his crippled Buddy, his ruby eyes widening with dismay as he saw the angry swollen leg the green dragon was carrying.

"Jack what happened to you?!" The young boy said in shock that was bordering on panic.

He did not receive an answer as Jack limped right on by towards his final goal, the crowd of monsters and people fell silent as they stood on the sidelines to let the weary warrior pass. No one knew of what happened between the two dragons, but whatever dignity and honour was left in this world was crossing the finish line side by side.

Tsukikage was announced the winner with Drum taking second(this despite his protests that the ninja must have cheated somehow) as Jackkinfe found himself on the receiving end of a bombardment of questions by Tasuku, the pair being rushed back to the Buddy Police Headquarters for emergency medical care. Jack never saw Duel Sieger again after that, for as soon as the race ended the Dragon Lord vanished back to his dominion in Ancient World, carrying all of his untold secrets with him. It might never be known as to what his true motives were that drove his actions that fateful day, Jackknife doubted even his own Buddy Fighter Genma Todoroki fully knew what when on inside Sieger's mind. As unpredictable as the lightning that followed the rolling thunder across a storm embittered sky, one thing was absolute in the end.

The lessons Sieger taught him, would forever remain.


End file.
